Consumer laws in Mexico: What every expat should know

Paul Kurtzweil (Qroo Paul) and his wife Linda debuted their blog “Two Expats living in Mexico” on April 22, 2016. Two days ago, they published a most useful article to shed some light for those expats who want to know more about consumer laws in Mexico .

Whether you are a tourist or a full time expat, it is easy to fall prey to an unscrupulous vendor or service provider in Mexico. Many times the person is not even aware that he or she has been defrauded. These frauds range from being shortchanged at a gas station to paying three times more for a product at a store. The key to not becoming a victim is to be familiar with the applicable laws and to know what to do when you encounter a violation.

The Law and Profeco

In 1976, Mexico passed the Federal Consumer Protection Law (Ley Federal de Protección al Consumidor) with the goal of protecting consumers across Mexico. The legislation also created the Procuraduría Federal del Consumidor (Profeco), a government agency tasked with enforcing the law and investigating possible violations.

Profeco has the authority to close a business and/or levy fines. You may have seen their suspension stickers on businesses around Quintana Roo. If not, this is what they look like: